The phone continued to ring...three, four, five times without a response. Paul was pacing now, self-consciously pressing the phone closer to his ear, hoping that the simple action may somehow have an effect on the other end and Kate would eventually answer. She never did. Muttering a string of curses under his breath that would land any one of his students in detention, Paul switched off the phone and ran a hand through his dark hair. He was now left with two disturbing possibilities - either Kate was hurt and lying helpless somewhere out there or whoever had erected that wall had also managed to shut down all methods of communication to all outlying areas.

He was still milling over that last part when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Swallowing hard to collect his bearings, Paul turned and found himself standing face to face with the town deputy, Marty Rivers, and his son. He offered a slight nod in greeting, but his thoughts continued to stray elsewhere - to Kate and the fate of the town.

"I am bringing Devon home. Please excuse us," Rivers informed him coolly. He didn't know what it was, but something irked him about that. Was it the fact that Rivers was stepping on his own turf and pulling the rug out from under him or was it a suspicion that he may be hiding something simply because he wore a badge? Paul soon found his answer as the deputy continued.

"This is not a terrorist attack." Paul suddenly found himself standing very still as he stared at the other man, his gaze hardening. He had uttered those very words moments ago and it was as if the other man had been reading his mind. "The government is controlling this little shindig, and I doubt we are getting out soon."

"What 'shindig'?" Paul interjected darkly. "What the hell are they doing out there? Where are the rest of your men in all of this?!" He was starting to slowly lose his composure and judging from the looks straying in their direction, his voice was starting to carry as well. The last thing he wanted was to get more people upset. Clearing his throat, he angled his head toward the ground and fell silent as Rivers went on to explain the incident at the hospital and the attack on the sheriff.

"And what are you doing about it?" he challenged after Rivers had finished. But the deputy never gave him a response. He simply left. "Rotten son of a--"

"Can I call my mother?" a young girl asked with a tear-streaked face.

Paul held his tongue and forced himself to look away from the retreating back of the deputy. Right now, the students and their safety were more important. Kneeling, he lowered himself to be more on her level and offered her a weak smile. "We're doing our best," he started to explain, his mind still obviously elsewhere. "We're going to have someone call your parents, either myself or Mrs. Katherine, and let them know what's going on. We'll have them come pick you up soon enough." He trailed off, knowing he could do better and the look in the girl's face told him as much. With a sigh, he reached for his phone and held it out to her. "But if you want to get a head start, I wouldn't mind. Maybe you'll have better luck than I have."

After the girl had gone, Paul remained where he was, stooped over and watching the proceedings with sad eyes. He didn't know what to think of the situation any longer, especially with Kate missing and the police providing cryptic answers about everything. Nothing was making sense. It was in this vulnerable position that Grace found him once more.

"The students are getting restless, Paul," she pointed out with worry in her voice. "What should we do? Do you think one of us should go to the City Hall and find out what is happening?"

"Marty Rivers was here," he revealed distantly, refusing to look at her as he pressed his lips into a thin line. "He said the government is behind it and no one's getting out. No explanation...no nothing.

The sun had finally started to turn to evening. As Paul walked toward his car, two police cars pulled up. ?Marty sent us,? the first to step out said. Paul recognized him. They drank at the bar every week, his name Lance Venice. Lance was young, just out of college. He trained under Marty Rivers, but secretly despised the man. He had fueled most of Paul?s anger toward the man over the years. Lance had windblown hair, handsome features. Never kept a girlfriend for longer than a week, but had them all flocking him. ?So, where are the kids?? Lance looked toward the Gym, where Grace had came out.

The second police officer was Olivia Katherine, a blond haired beauty with an ego that challenged everyone. She was also just from college, and happened to have been Grace?s child. Grace ran to her daughter, wrapping her in an embrace. ?Olivia, come on, lets leave the men to their business,? Grace led her daughter toward the gym, leaving Paul with Lance. ?So, Paulie, you want to know what has been going on? From Marty, I heard that the government locked us down from some disease. The Mayor got a call from the President himself saying that a disease deadly enough to destroy the world had been started here. Today. So anyone in here will not be leaving unless they develop a cure.?

Lance was shaking now. ?And what?s bad is I already knew these things. Met the Adams woman out at her house. Went in to check on her and she tried to bite me. I ran. Thought I might have been hallucinating but I guess I wasn?t. Surely you read the paper. Her son killed his dad and then dropped dead in the police station. I am pretty sure he was possessed.? Lance walked to his police car, pulling out a photo. ?If I was correct, he would have been in your class. Remember him?? Lance stuck out a picture of a boy.

Paul recognized him. He could remember how the boy had been all depressed on that first week of the school year, which would be his last. ?I was the one who told the mother. She went crazy. Starting shouting at me and cussing me out. We almost had to arrest her, but she was let out. I should have told Marty about her this morning. But I didn?t.? Lance put the picture back, ?We got officers running all around town. Jack is at the hospital right now, where I hear it is bad. They said half the people there are dying. You ever met his wife. Smoking hot. Sadly, he took her before I had the chance.?

?Now, you got all the info. I can answer some questions, if you got any. We pals anyway,? he smiled at his friend, patting him on the back. But his hands were shaking. Lance, the most calm man he had ever known, was breaking down. But Lance wouldn?t cry. Never again. He would never cry.

Grace hadn't exactly provided him with a proper answer, which only heightened his insecurities surrounding the incident. He had pleaded innocent against the accusations when the administration had questioned him about it, but deep down, he knew he was far from guiltless. It was a complicated manner and he thought Grace had understood where he stood. Judging from her reaction now, maybe she hadn't or maybe she was still harboring some ill effects toward the whole thing. Whatever the case, Paul interpreted her near silence as a free pass to pursue his goal.

Still distraught, he approached his car moments later and hit the wireless remote to unlock it. He was just about to climb inside when two police cars pulled up outside of the building. Paul furrowed his brow as two figures emerged from the vehicles and approached him slowly. He recognized the one as his friend Lance. The other...well, the other brought back unwanted memories. Olivia Katherine had been more than Grace's daughter to him. Maybe that explained some of Grace's apprehension...

"Hey," he called to Lance, a smile washing over his features as he leaned his elbows up against the top of the car door. "What're you doing out here? Don't tell me they got you working on this crazy story too."

"Marty sent us," he noted with some bitterness in his voice. Paul was aware of Lance's history with Rivers and in many ways, fueled his own distrust of the man as well. "So, where are the kids?" he continued casually as he looked around with curiosity.

"We have them locked down in the gym until we get some answers," he revealed, throwing his thumb over his shoulder to indicate the building behind him. "Can never be too careful, I guess. No one seems to know what's going on anyway."

Lance simply gave him one of those looks and Paul knew right then that his friend was hiding something and he had come to 'spill the beans.' He started by revealing that they were facing a deadly disease and how the government had responded by placing them within a quarantined zone...which explained the transparent wall surrounding the town. No one could escape and no one could get in unless a cure was found.

"So they're letting us here to die," Paul surmised quietly to himself before cursing under his breath. He reached up and rubbed at his tired eyes once more. "Then it's worse than I thought..."

Lance continued with the story about the boy who had killed his mother a while back and how everyone had believed he had been crazy. Paul had believed the crazy bit himself when he had read about it in the papers, but when Lance showed him a photograph of the boy and revealed that the boy had indeed been in his class, everything had changed. The kid hadn't been the brightest student, but he did well enough. It was a shame to see someone with so much potential fall victim to--just what were they facing? What did this disease do to people?

Suddenly, his professional side was starting to take over. His background had been in biology and genetics, after all. He knew he shouldn't get involved, but something was nagging at him to do so anyway. "What do you got on this disease?" he asked curiously. "Where did it start...what are the symptoms...how does it spread? I may not be the most qualified person in the world, but I may be able to do something, you know?"

But his hope was quickly squelched as he was reminded of one very important person, causing him to frown. "Kate is missing too," he added with obvious worry in his voice. "I was just about to head out to look for her, but..." He trailed off with a shrug.

Lance looked to his friend. Before he could answer, Olivia stepped from the gym and walked toward her police car. Lance had no idea about Paul and Olivia, and waved her down. She tried to avoid him, but they were so close. He laid a hand on her shoulder and she looked at him angrily. She reached to her headphone, flipping a button off. She thought neither of them had caught her. But both of them had. She flushed, turning her face from the both of him. The memories of her night with Paul kept coming to her mind. She hated him now, more than ever.

[image=http://inspectorgadget.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/female.jpg]

?Hey Liv, Paulie here needs a ride to find his girl,? Lance told her. Olivia looked at Paul, and he might have saw the flicker of care for him. Love, it could have been. Olivia shrugged both of them off, getting in her car. From the glove compartment she pulled out a gun. A machine gun. Normal police officers didn?t have machine guns. ?Hey Liv, where did you get-? Lance was stopped. Olivia had the gun aimed at him. ?Lance boy, where are your jokes now?? she cursed, pulling her FBI badge from her pocket.

?Lance boy, you are arrested under the Federal court for trafficking illegal prisoners out of town,? Olivia now shoved the machine gun into his neck. Lance pulled his gun out and pointed it at Olivia?s chest. Lance?s face was changing. He opened his mouth, revealing a sharp row of teeth. Olivia cursed, aiming the gun at Lance, or what he was now. But Lance swatted it from her hands. Olivia screamed now, falling backwards on her butt. The machine gun Lance had swatted away was an inch away from Paul?s foot. By now, Grace and the students had started to walk out. Kelly stood in front of Grace, running to them.

By now, Lance had been about to pull the trigger. Kelly tackled him. The gun went off. And Kelly rolled off Lance, the beast. Lance was no longer himself now. As Kelly rolled off him, half of Lance?s skin had fallen from his face. Paul?s friend was really now some monster. Lance turned to Olivia, to finish what he had started. Olivia screamed as Kelly moaned. Paul had the choice of stopping Kelly?s blood and saving her life, but that meant letting Olivia die. And he might feel some forgotten feelings arise. But saving Olivia meant Kelly would die. Paul had a difficult choice ahead of him. And he only had about three seconds.

The President of the United States was recently elected. She was tall, brown haired, and dressed in a black business suit. She wore glasses, dark rimmed glasses, which illuminated her dark brown eyes. The prior president had resigned for problems, and she was joined. She tapped her papers on her podium, making her first public announcement. She sighed, adjusting her glasses as if signifying her nervousness. The room quieted down.

?I have called this public meeting to announce why the boundaries of Summerton have been closed up,? she said, glancing at her papers, ?At nine o?clock this prior morning, the Summerton, Virginia police put into the program that a man turned on the people and caused two people to go into serious condition. We do not have names of any of these people. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was sent down to Summerton, some of out previous planted agents moving around. There names will not be revealed.

?It came up that the man had been sick. Deathly sick. He died in the police car driving to the station. But we had another report of a mother who lost her husband and son. She was reported to have caught this bug. We think that the man must have been in contact with her. We do have reports that she died, and our agents do have her body to investigate. Others have started to get sick, and this day the Summerton H

Time came to a standstill as all hell broke loose. Paul could only stand there and watch, his jaw slack, as Olivia returned and retrieved a gun - a machine gun - from the passenger side of her patrol car. He was on the verge of demanding an explanation when she whirled and turned the business end of the gun on Lance. Had she lost her mind?

Apparently not.

Lance began to change - no, transform into something that wasn't human. It started with his teeth and then it spread to his face as his skin began to melt and twist unnaturally. Even at this distance, Paul could see the fear in Olivia's eyes as Lance lunged, knocking the gun free from her grip. It went skittering across the pavement and eventually came to rest inches from Paul's foot. He stared at it for a long moment. It was tempting to reach for it and end everything right then and there, but was it the right answer?

He soon had his answer as several things happened at once. Kelly, the girl who had asked to call her mother, had come running from the gym, her long legs carrying her across the yard before she threw herself at Lance and tackled him. There was a scream, a gunshot and a feral yell before the girl was left bleeding on the pavement. That opened up an opportunity for Lance to finish his business with Olivia.

Clenching his jaw, Paul had made up his mind and he scooped up the gun without hesitation. It felt heavy and awkward within his grip and he began to doubt whether he would actually be able to operate it in time. But the sight of Lance lumbering toward Olivia changed all of that. He was no longer human, but a monster. And along with the hideous transformation, he had lost a friend.

With a girl bleeding out on the ground and his ex facing down death, he had to make this quick. "Grace!" he called frantically, never allowing his gaze to leave Lance. "Get over here and give me a hand! She's hurt!" He began to backpedal toward the injured Kelly as he raised the cumbersome firearm. "Sorry, pal," he muttered quietly to his former friend as he raised the weapon and took aim. When the back of Lance's head was in the cross hairs, he pulled the trigger and refused to release it until the monster fell to the ground.

Paul?s plan worked. As the first row of bullets slammed into Lance?s head, Grace had reached Kelly and using the sleeve of her shirt to clog the bleeding. But he had forgot something. Lance had a gun, and it was pointed at Olivia. And Lance was not a normal person. When the first row of bullets plunged his head, they felt like annoying little bugs. And he felt the peppering from them, so he fired. He had been moved slightly, and Olivia was hit in the stomach. She screamed, blood gushing from her wound and her mouth. Tears came out in sobs, as Lance fell over, the third row of bullets killing what he had turned into. In his last moments, his former face took over, and then he was dead. Olivia lay beside Kelly, blood running from both of them and mixing in the cement.

Kelly was bleeding from her chest, and from her ragged breathe, death was coming upon her. The other students had come outside, staring at the adults in a stunned silence. Kelly opened her eyes to look at them, and several of them hurled on the ground. Grace was sobbing, rocking the girl back and forth as she held the girl?s arm to stop the blood. Olivia hurled on the ground, crying now. She motioned for Paul to lean down. ?Paulie. My k-keys,? she hurled again, throwing him the keys from her pocket. They were blood stained. ?Get m-me and the g-g-girl in the c-car.? Olivia?s stomach burned suddenly, and she leaned on her back, staying calm. ?And Paulie, I s-still love you,? she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, though she was not dead.

Kelly was dead now. Gracie was rocking a lifeless girl. Some of the stronger stomach students made their way to the adults, two of the stronger boys putting Olivia in the back seat. They held her there, and Paul would know them too. Charlie and Frank Arnolds, the sons of Cassandra Arnolds, the local nurse. She had most likely taught them how to care for a sick person. Grace laid Kelly gently on the ground, covering the girl?s face with her jacket. Death stunk in the air. Death was around them all.

TAG: Han

Questions: Would anyone like a flashback section to each chapter. Take a little time from the chapter, or perhaps run both of them, to show flashbacks from the characters, show a little depth. As everyone of the characters playing has background depth. So, opinions?

OCC: I?ve got Han written down for this. Any other takers? Once I post again in an update, expect a flashback to answer to. And glad you are having fun. It?s also fine to post on here OCC as long as it involves the game. Thanks.

Blood. Blood was everywhere. Paul stood over the carnage with short, rasping breaths, his hands trembling beneath the weight of the gun in his grip. Had he done this? Of course he had. In there end, there had been no other choice and he had to fire the weapon in order to survive. But what about the others? With a disgusted grunt, he threw the gun to the pavement and ran over to where Olivia lay. He now felt sick.

She was a mess as he approached. The gunshot had hit her square in the stomach and she was bleeding out all over the place. Paul wasted no time as he knelt down and quickly pressed his hands against her abdomen in an attempt to slow the bleeding. He didn't need a doctor to know she was running out of time.

"Paulie," she uttered weakly through ragged coughs. "My k-keys." With trembling fingers, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled them free before depositing them into Paul's hand. At this point, it took all of his strength to keep his emotions in check. Tears were threatening to spill over as he drew in a series of deep breaths to calm himself. He curled his fist tightly about the keyring as Olivia continued.

"Get m-me and the g-g-girl in the c-car," she ordered before recoiling once more in pain. "And Paulie...I s-still love you."

That last bit hurt more than any physical blow he could have taken. Their relationship had been wrong to begin with and he had been stupid for pursuing it in the first place, but he couldn't deny the attraction and the chemistry the two of them had shared. Despite Kate being in his life for so long, there had always been something there for Olivia as well, which is why he had been so conflicted. He would either be betraying Kate or leading Olivia on; he couldn't have them both. And with Kate now missing and Olivia near death, maybe he really would be losing both.

"Shh," Paul uttered quietly in response, placing a finger to her lips as she relaxed and closed her eyes. He took great care in lifting her from the sidewalk, now cradling her within his arms as he carried her to the patrol car parked nearby. Two students from his class assisted him with placing her onto the backseat and once she was situated, he backed away to attend to Kelly.

"She didn't make it...did she?" Paul asked quietly when he approached Grace with Kelly rocking gently in her arms. The look on the older woman's face said it all and Paul cursed, turning away as he ran a hand through his dark hair. Grace had removed her jacket and was now placing it over the dead girl's face.

When Paul turned back to face Grace, he was tense. He had seen his share of dead bodies for one day and it showed on his face. "K-Keep her here," he said after a moment. "S-someone should be along soon to clean up this mess. T-They'll take care of the bodies..." He gulped, pushing back the bile rising in his throat. "I-I need to get Olivia to the hospital. S-She has a chance."

He knew Grace would understand since Olivia was her daughter and all, but would she trust her life in his hands after what he had done? Shaking his head, he pushed that thought from his mind and staggered back to the car, inhaling deeply as he positioned himself in the driver's seat. He sat there for a long moment, simply breathing. Was he really in the right frame of mind to handle this?

With a grim determination, Paul set his jaw and turned the key in the ignition. The car came to life and they were soon on their way.

The police car turned corners, and through the windows the people would see discarded cars and people staring at the walls. One of the twins was patting Olivia?s head, gently rubbing her forehead. The police car had gotten so close to the hospital. But that police car would never reach the hospital. In that last couple of seconds, the wheel locked up. They had just ran over a piece of glass, which had shot up into the underside of the car, squealing. The car froze then flipped two times. One brother, the one who had patted her head, which was Charlie, survived. The other, Frank, was shot from the window and became a tangled mess on the road. His brother was screaming, along with Olivia?s moans.

Another car, a tan one, drove along the road, straight through. Driving the car was a woman. Opening the door to the car, the woman was in full sight. She had short brown hair, dark brown eyes, and tanned skin. She approached the car, and her walk was calm, measured. ?Hand the girl to me,? she said, grabbing her from Charlie. Then she pulled a gun from her pocket and shot it up his nose. Glancing at Paul, she winked. Her name was Eliza Shepard, and hopefully Paul would remember her. He had met her husband, and he had also attended his funeral three days ago. She dragged Olivia from the car, stretching her out on the grass. Then, as calmly as she had came, she went back to her car and drove off.

Olivia moaned, coughing up blood again. ?P-Paul!? she wailed, blood gushing from her stomach. Charlie dropped from the car, his mauled face hideous. The world around Summerton had really went crazy. But the world around Paul was even crazier. He had just witnessed the death of two of his students and the arrival of a woman, one he had known, who turned away and left. Now it was only Olivia and him. The people standing in the streets hadn?t even moved. Finally, one sobbed in their sleeve. The others slowly started to look around. Then they saw Paul and Olivia. Several people ran to them, taking them from the car. ?What in happened? How come two young men are dead?? one man asked Paul.

Olivia?s House, Summerton, VA
March 22, 2007
2:00 P.M.

Olivia sat on her couch, drinking a Coke in one hand and smoking a cigarette in her other hand. Her mother had always suggested smoking was bad for her, but her mother had disowned her years ago, so why would Olivia really care. Olivia was watching Wheel of Fortune, a rerun show, and was totally uninterested. She heard a knock on the door. Standing, she approached it. Opening it, she saw it was Kate. ?Hello, Katie,? she said, smiling. A smack on the cheek quieted her. ?That?ll show you, you little boyfriend stealer!? Kate was screaming, flinging her purse items as Olivia. ?What-oof-are-ouch-you-stop-talking-ow-about??

Two hours later, Paul had opened her door. Olivia ushered him inside, patting him on the back and pecking a kiss on his cheek. He would notice the bruises, the scratches, the smack marks, and he would predict what had happened. And that would snap the relationship like a wristband.

Paul sat up with a start, his head pounding in tune with the ringing in his ears. What had happened? He was too light-headed to recall the details, but he did remember swerving off of the side of the road and rolling down an embankment. Had he hit something or had he simply lost focus? Surely, he couldn't have been that out of it...

An ear-piercing scream from the backseat brought his mind back to the present and jogged his memory about Olivia and the desperate help she needed in order to survive. "O-Oliv--" he started, but trailed off with a grunt as he soon discovered that his foot had been wedged between the gas pedal and what remained of the front portion of the car. He remained in this helpless position as someone suddenly come forward from the highway and began to drag Olivia and Charlie, one of his students, free.

"N-No! Wait!" he yelled, holding out a hand and propelling his body forward to escape. Of course, he wouldn't get very far with his foot still lodged underneath the dash, but if he could just reach the door handle...

A gunshot went off and Paul winced, shrugging away from the sound as it echoed around him. He could now feel his heart beating furiously within his chest as he feared for the worst. What if the stranger had shot Olivia? Would he be next?

"P-Paul!" Olivia's wail was almost music to his ears. He couldn't help but smirk at the relief he felt until he remembered Charlie. He craned his neck around just in time to see the stranger, a woman, wink at him and drop the dead form of Charlie to the ground before retreating back to the highway.

He couldn't take it anymore. With one last ditch effort, he unleashed a howl of frustration and pulled on his leg with all of his might to release it from its snag. Luckily for him, he had been successful and the force of the pull had caused him to tumble backward onto the grass. He lay there for several moments, staring up into the sky until he was able to catch his breath. Only then, did he make an attempt to approach Olivia.

"H-Hang in there, o-okay?" he tried to reassure her as he approached on hands and knees before slumping down beside her with exhaustion. He swallowed hard and ran a hand across his forehead, feeling the warm, sticky substance against his fingers - blood. So, he had hit his head in the crash after all, no wonder he couldn't think straight... "W-we're going to get you h-help--"

A shadow was now looming over him and he trailed off. It was a good thing, too, since he was starting to ramble. "What happened?" a man asked curiously, staring down at him. "How come two young men are dead?"

Paul simply stared up at the man, noticing for the first time that his glasses had been smashed in the wreck. He blinked and pulled them off his face before responding. "I-I need to get her to the hospital," he said instead, totally ignoring the man's question...or maybe he had simply failed to comprehend what he had said in the first place. "S-she was shot."

Olivia's House, Summerton, VA
March 22, 2007
4:00PM

He had arrived at her home as soon as the school day had ended. They were supposed to meet later on that night, but things couldn't wait. They were starting to spiral out of control and he had to set things straight before it was too late.

Kate had been acting strange that morning and Paul had a sinking feeling she had been starting to suspect. He had been careful about when he went out and what he did, but even that had backfired on him. Things like this very rarely remained a secret and he was starting to learn that the hard way. But even if she did know, it hadn't been his fault. It had started out as a simple friendship and they just excelled from there. What was he to do?

When Olivia finally opened the door, she ushered him inside and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. Paul was hesitant at first, but eventually returned the gesture. That's when he noticed the bruises and scratches and nar/>

The man picked Olivia up. ?I?m afraid the hospital is not a possible destination as of now.? He looked toward the hospital, which was burning. Flames rose from the place, and he remembered what he had done. Good thing the sheriff and the doctor had survived. Too bad that girl had died. She had the most beautiful hair, but looked a little off. The flames had wrapped around her like a rope, burning her like a crisp. Her hair had looked fried. Renee Morgan had been her name. What a beautiful girl.

The man was FBI Agent Joe Red. ?The hospital has faced an untimely demise. Right now, this girl would do best with some great doctor help, but we do not have any. I have a little training,? Olivia was moaning over Joe. He lowered her to the ground, motioning for a forty-five year old man to get Paul out. The man jerked him out, looking him over. ?Oh man, this woman is bleeding badly. I may not be able to do this. I will need the help of one woman that you might have heard of around here. Heard of Ally Shaw?? Joe asked him. Paul might have met her once or twice around town, or maybe at the hospital for an injury.

Paul gasped with exasperation and slumped back against the ground as the man, some kind of police officer by the looks of him, explained the situation at the hospital. Apparently whatever was happening to their small town was getting worse and the facility had burnt to the ground. That left them with dozens of sick individuals without the medical personnel or supplies they needed to treat them. Paul wanted to scream, but one look at Olivia made him hold his tongue. If anything, he had to remain calm for her.

"Oh man, this woman is bleeding badly," an older man exclaimed as he moved forward in an attempt to help Olivia. Paul found himself moving timidly forward to get a closer look, now peering over the man's shoulder. "I may not be able to do this. I will need the help of one woman that you might have heard of around here."

Breathing in deeply, he wet his dry lips and forced himself to stare the other man in the face. "What...what do you want me to do?" he asked in a desperate voice. At this point, he was willing to travel miles to ensure that Olivia was safe.

"Heard of Ally Shaw?"

They were a pretty close-knit community and as a result, everyone seemed to know everybody else around town. Paul was familiar with who Ally Shaw was, but he didn't know her on a personal level. In fact, he never even met the woman in his life. All he knew of her came from word of mouth and other reports that made their way to his level.

"I just know her in passing," he admitted honestly, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. "She's some kind of nurse, right? Works at the hospital. If that's the case, how do you know she even made it out alive?"

The young FBI agent stopped what he was doing to the woman, staring at his hands for a couple of seconds. Then he looked up. ?I know everyone here, Paul. I have been here for years. I am at the market, I am in the woods. I can name everyone in this town off the top of my head. And I also know-? he was stopped as his cell phone rang. ?I thought those closed the lines,? he said, flipping it open to answer it. Then he shook his head, murmured a couple of words, and closed the phone. He picked Olivia up now, carrying her with him. ?Come with me. Now, we are going to go to Olivia?s house and we are going to get Olivia on a couch and in safety.? he said. ?Now, you must use these tweezers, and use this towel. You can get the bullet out.

?Do you want to know what is going on, Paul?? Joe was behind the wheel now, looking behind him and back at Paul and Olivia?s body in the back.

Olivia's House, Summerton, VA
March 22, 2007
4:00PM

?I-I can?t see you anymore, Paulie,? Olivia was shaking now, one small tear rolling down her purple cheek. She looked at Paul, then shoved his hand away. ?Kate came over. She beat the hell out of me, Paul!? Olivia stood now, walking to her refrigerator and pulling out a coke. Gulping it down, she through the empty can in the garbage. The she turned back to Paul, and her teeth were chattering now. ?It?s not only that, Paul.?

?It must be me. I can?t imagine what pain Kate is going through, imagining you here with me. I would have done the same thing. I am afraid she might come back,? Olivia walked to her door, opening it as she sobbed, ?It is not you Paul. You never forced me to make this choice. And it wasn?t Kate either. It has been in the coming for forever. I love you, and I will always love you, Paul. But we don?t belong to each other. You and Kate deserve each other, and a beautiful child.? Olivia looked to the ground and sniffed, but her sobbing had stopped and she was stronger.

A lot of people called it prison when I was growing up
But these are my roots and this is what I love
Cause everybody knows me and I know them
And I believe that's the way we were supposed to live
Wouldn't trade one single day here in small town USA- Justin Moore, Small Town USA

Chapter Two - Knowledge is the key to nothing

Summerton City Hall, Summerton, VA
August 17, 2010
6:05 P.M.

Mayor James Summers sat in plush chair at his desk, huffing and puffing as he smashed his fist down on the desk. Deputy Marty Rivers stood with his head bowed, hands over the shoulders of his son. Marty was chubby, but compared to the mayor, he was as skinny as a pole. The mayor said he had ate to take up the depression of his wife?s death, but he had always been fat. Devon Rivers glanced at his father, who frowned at him and shook his head. James caught that out of the corner of his eyes. ?What? Do you think I need time to get my frustration out? How about you get out and start helping the folk who have been locked up too. And you, kid, I want you to go home and read a book, because you look dumber than a doornail.? James also had a temper. An evil temper. Standing up, his belly was hung on the desk for a moment. Marty stood to full height.

?Mayor, I don?t want to become infected with whatever this is-?

?What this is, Deputy Rivers, is a government mistake. Those dang officials think they can just shut us up. I bet you somebody in this town knows some kind of secret, and the FBI shut us up so nobody could find out,? James was pacing now, walking back and forth in his large office. ?Mayor Summers, today we arrested a man who had attacked two women. Assorted others are reporting illness and sickness. We just thought it was a seasonal flu, until the man died in the car. We have Kenny checking him out-? Marty stopped as a fist, meaty, bruised his eye and sent him backwards and out into the hallway. Devon dove toward the door, and was almost out when the mayor wrapped his hand around the collar of his shirt. He flung him back into the office, where he smashed his head on the doorframe.

?Now, Devon, you can read a book, while me and your Daddy attend to some business,? James closed the door behind him, locking it from the outside. He kicked Marty down the hall, his whimpering form crawling along. James led him into the bathroom, where he kept his gun. ?Marty, over the years, I have dealt with your insolence by giving you weeks off of work. But with such disobedience, I need to finish this. You were such a good boy when you actually listened,? James had taken his rifle down, and shoved it in Marty?s chest. The gun went off, and Marty?s figure went rigid, his eyes bulging, before he flopped on the floor, dead.

James closed the door, walking back to his office. The boy was standing up as he opened the door, holding his eye. When he saw the gun, he squealed. Diving under the desk, two bullets soared past his head and shattered a mirror above him. Glass rained down on his body as he crawled out. James charged at him like a bull, loading the gun again. As Devon ran to the front door, his hand on the door, he stopped. His hand remained on the knob, about to turn it. He fell against the door, and from his back blood trickled down. ?All in the line of justice,? James said as he picked Devon?s limp body up and put him in the bathroom with his father.

OOC: It was fun while it lasted. No one has posted in about two weeks. I enjoyed this with everyone who played. I enjoyed playing out the individual storylines, and I wish we could have played this all the way out. My ideas for this game were endless, and maybe, just like Terror, I might open it up again some time far from now, and start over. If two out of the three players wish to keep this alive, I can open it back up. If not, I guess we could all hang up our hats.